Whether your plan is to become more self-sufficient by growing your own vegetables, or you simply want to add to the decorative impact of your outdoor spaces with some floral beds, a raised garden is a practical option.
You can go all-out with a professionally installed example, although anything bespoke and completed by a professional will come with a steep price tag. The more affordable option is to make it yourself, which is achievable in a number of ways.
If you aren’t a master carpenter and you don’t want to spend days putting everything together, harnessing wooden pallets will save you time and stress.
So what steps do you need to take to go about this?
Consider the funding options
First, you need to remember that it’s not just the price you’ll pay for the pallets themselves that will comprise your raised garden budget. There are other expenses to consider, such as what you’ll pay for soil, compost, seeds and bulbs, as well as any tools and hardware you don’t already own that’s needed to get the job done.
If you’re eager to go ahead with any kind of upgrades like this for your garden or home interior, but cash is tight, it’s worth considering whether leveraging the equity in your property is a good move. With the help of a solid home loan you could unlock funds for a project like this, so you don’t need to do everything on a shoestring.
Choosing a pallet
Not all pallets are suited to use in a permanent outdoor context, or when in contact with flora and fauna, so you need to ensure that the ones you pick up are fit for purpose.
Look for examples that haven’t been impregnated with harsh chemicals, although this would be a rare occurrence. Instead seek out pallets that are heat treated, debarked and kiln dried to get the best results.
You can buy new or used pallets, depending on your budget and the availability in your area. Looking out for second hand options on online marketplaces could even net you pallets free of charge, so set up an alert for related terms to make a saving.
Creating the raised garden
A raised garden bed can be simply created by placing a pallet on a flat surface and filling the interior with a combo of soil and compost.
The wooden slats will naturally create rows along which you can plant the greenery that you want to grow.
Before you get on with this, you need to deal with the issue of soil leakage, because of course any you add to the pallet will spill out and get washed away in the rain.
The most eco-friendly option is to open up an old burlap sack, or purchase this material new, and use a staple gun to affix it over the bottom and sides of the pallet.
Once done, you can position your pallet. Make sure it sits on a surface where water can drain away naturally, rather than pooling.
Putting your green fingers to work
You can plant whatever you want in a pallet garden, but you need to remember that different flower and vegetable varieties require different conditions to thrive, and need varying levels of attentiveness from the grower.
If you don’t have the space for a pallet, you could use other types of sustainable packaging to act as a smaller outdoor or window garden.
Final thoughts
Put in the work to prepare your raised garden project, and the actual execution of your plans will go off without a hitch. Just remember that your hard work is only beginning, since gardens of all sizes need care and involvement to thrive.